THE CHIEF executive of Liverpool’s Chamber of Commerce has launched a stinging criticism of the council’s plan to extend parking charges to 8pm.

Jack Stopforth said the authority should come clean and admit the proposal to extend parking charging from 6pm to 8pm was about raising extra cash.

It came yesterday during the first sitting of an inquiry into the city council’s parking policy.

Head of parking Roy Tunstall admitted that publicity around the proposal had been badly handled.

Mr Stopforth said: “The measures as they were presented publicly were poorly handled.

“We had a wonderful Capital of Culture year, and just when we are about to capitalise on that we make an announcement that we are going to extend car parking charges.

“There was a lack of consultation. I felt aggrieved that this was something I read in the paper, and the response from Cllr Flo Clucas [deputy council leader] was ‘we did consult you it was in the budget which we sent you’.

“That does not constitute consultation or good partnership working in my view.”

He went on to criticise a lack of clarity surrounding the rationale behind the proposal.

“It’s about revenue, let’s not kid ourselves.”

He said the competitiveness of the city would be damaged if the measure were introduced.

Mr Tunstall said: “We have learnt a lesson about publicity.

“It was actually about waiting restrictions, however, parking charges form an important part of managing demand.”

Cllr Eddie Clein, said: “In terms of what you have shown us today, there is not a single problem that will be solved by tampering around with the level of charges.”